Tuesday, 4 August 2015

1987: SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE Novelization

From July 1987: the seldom-seen paperback adaptation of the notorious crime against cinema AND comics that is Cannon's epic misfire SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE.

I only acquired this recently (and I'm not sure I would want to be seen reading it on public transport) but, considering the number of last-minute changes (mostly stemming from a chronic lack of dosh), it might make a fascinating excursion into the what-might-have been.

As for the film: I saw it when it was first released on the big screen (my friends and I were banned from seeing our first choice... the latest JAWS sequel) and thought it was pretty grim. Now I've acquired a love of the half-arsed (which makes virtually every film Cannon ever made fair game) and rather enjoyed it.

Clearly the publishers were only supplied a single still deemed useable for both the front and back covers. The official movie subtitle is also curiously absent from the cover. Does this suggest some last-minute wavering on the behalf of the studio(s) and their marketing commandos?

That's a cheesy official anniversary logo as well!

The real oddity is its predecessor: why did they suddenly think that the Man of Steel worked better as a comedy romp? It's not as if the first two films had been creative or commercial failures...

SLOW ROBOT

Welcome to STARLOGGED!
It's a repository, and celebration, of Geek Media (mostly print) from the 'Star Age': that pre-millennial period between, roughly, 1972 (the opening of Marvel UK) and 1999 (the release of The Phantom Menace... and the end of innocence). But, of course, we'll bend the rules when we want to.
I only reproduce long out-of-print items for historical reference. I don't include anything that's currently in-print, is likely to be reprinted or otherwise commercially exploited by the copyright holder.
Comments and contributions are most welcome.